Oxford Street closes to traffic in London pedestrianisation scheme

Summarised from The Guardian's report · Updated 22 Oct, 05:59 · Archive

Half of Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, closes to traffic on 26 October as London undergoes pedestrianisation.

Half of Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street at 1.2 miles long, closes to traffic on Monday 26 October. Cars, lorries, vans, taxis, buses, bicycles, e-bikes and scooters will be banned, with only pedestrians and emergency vehicles permitted.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the pedestrianisation scheme in February. The change represents the most significant transformation of central London's streetscape since Trafalgar Square was redesigned in 2003. For Khan, pedestrianising Oxford Street culminates a mission to create a greener city oriented around public health, walking and cycling. Khan published a memoir and manifesto titled 'Breathe', attributing his asthma to growing up inhaling London's polluted air.

The area is currently known for crowds, stress, dirt, noise and crime. The hope is that pedestrianisation will transform it into a space people actually want to spend time in.

Read the report

• Everyone hates Oxford Street. Will pedestrianisation save it?In a few days the busiest shopping street in Europe will be closed to traffic. The hope is that an unloved and polluted thoroughfare will turn into somewhere that people actually want to spend time In February, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced that Britain’s best-known thoroughfare, Oxford Street, would be pedestrianised. To the surprise of every Londoner that I have spoken to in the past few months, it is actually happening. On Monday 26 October, the busiest shopping street in Europe – or, precisely, half of its 1.2-mile stretch – will be closed to traffic, putting an end to…The Guardian · 22 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Oxford Street · London · Sadiq Khan · Trafalgar Square

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